The Crown Prince Says He Loves Me

When Qiuqiu met Shen Zi, he was not yet Crown Prince. His parents had abandoned him, and people were hunting him down. All Qiuqiu saw was how wretched he looked.

That autumn, she found Shen Zi. He told her that as long as he was alive, he would repay her one day.

Later, Shen Zi became the Crown Prince. When he came looking for Qiuqiu, she was in the middle of discussing marriage with the butcher from the neighboring village.

Qiuqiu asked Shen Zi why he had come back.

Shen Zi said he wanted to take her away so she could enjoy a life of wealth and honor. It was what she deserved.

Qiuqiu went back with Shen Zi. She never could have imagined that an ordinary country girl like her would be honored as a distinguished guest by the Crown Prince, then eventually become his consort.

Qiuqiu didn't want to be a consort. She wanted to leave the palace.

The Crown Prince wouldn't let her go. He said she could leave only after he died.

Qiuqiu couldn't bring herself to let the Crown Prince die, so she drank the cup of poison in his place.

Qiuqiu thought, At last, I'm free.

She would never again have to endure everyone pointing at her and calling her an ugly consort who brought ruin to the kingdom.

She would always be Qiuqiu from Xinghua Village.

*

Much later, Shen Zi came to Xinghua Village and swore he would level the entire village if that was what it took to find Qiuqiu's remains. He wanted to take her home and be buried with her.

But the entire tomb was empty. Qiuqiu wasn't there.

So she must still be alive.

Theme: Sometimes, persistence isn't necessarily a good thing